Android Invasion – Mio MiBuddy Navigation Device “succumbs” to the Android temptation

November 2, 2009, By Thomas Antony in GPS, Gadgets

Mio Technology is the manufacturer of the MiBuddy GPS Navigation Devices. Till now their devices ran on Windows CE. Now it seems they too have been wooed by the ever-versatile Android’s slick looks and flexibility. They have announced that the next version of its MiBuddy 4.7-inch touchscreen Navigation Device will be running on Google’s Android OS.

The picture below shows a Mio Navman Spirit from Mio.

Mio Navman Spirit

More details below the cut.

The new device will be a GPS navigator + Mobile Internet Device ( don’t we have enough of those on the market yet ? ), capable of internet browsing and even touting a slideout keypad for real typing. It will fit into your car to perform the functions of a conventional GPS navigation device and can also be carried around for comfortable internet browsing. But most probably you will end up sticking it in your car, and forget about the browser and the other stuff. I mean who would want to keep on remembering to take the GPS whenever you go out, rather than keeping it in the car where it will stay.

MiBuddy will pack a number of wireless technologies for connectivity, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and even WiMax. It will also incorporate a built-in microphone, speaker and media player. Android will make it easy for them to implement all these features and connectivity options. The microphone is presumably for VoIP applications.

The rumor is that these Android navigators will come sometime in 2010.

Via SlashGear